Kinematic asset management

ABSTRACT

A system for managing kinematic assets is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system comprises an electronic identification device associated with an asset. The system further comprises a container comprising a reader disposed within the container for receiving a unique identification of the identification device. The container further comprises a reader node for maintaining an inventory record comprising the asset and for generating a report when the asset is not detected by said reader. The report further comprises a location of the container when said report is generated. The system further comprises a kinematic asset management platform comprising an asset registry for storing data conveyed by the report and a reports engine for generating a second report conveying the location of said container when the report is generated.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 15/417,068, entitled “KINEMATIC ASSETMANAGEMENT,” which is a divisional application of and claims the benefitof co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/811,366 filed on Jul.28, 2015 entitled “KINEMATIC ASSET MANAGEMENT,” which is a divisionalapplication of and claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/750,750 filed on Jan. 25, 2013 entitled “KINEMATIC ASSETMANAGEMENT,” the specifications of which are incorporated by referencefor all purposes.

BACKGROUND

Currently, most large enterprises with field service operations andfield service management responsibilities are inventorying and managingtheir assets (such as tools, test sets, circuit boards, set-top boxes,termite bait stations, network interface devices, employee ID badges,and satellite TV antennas) in various and sometimes inefficient ways.This asset inventory and location management has been restricted tostandard warehouse buildings where manual inventory processes are usedto track the status and location of items. Examples of currently usedtechnology for inventorying and managing company assets at fixed sites,such as enterprise warehouses and store rooms, are bar code scanning,radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, and manually preparedspreadsheets.

Assets used in a field service operation entering the field servicecompany supply chain typically have excellent documentation, inventory,and accountability at the initial point of receipt, such as the centralwarehouse or at the organization that directly receives an item (e.g.the directly delivered test set). However, once there is movement ofthat asset beyond the initial point of entry into a field servicecompany control, inventory, and accountability become a real problemregarding loss prevention, leakage, and lack of asset knowledge leadingto overstock.

Companies, or organizations within an enterprise that deliver fieldservice or that have technology driven services related infrastructureassets, usually receive products and materials in their centralwarehouse. However, there is ample opportunity for inventory failure andaccountability which, unfortunately applies to both high value and lowvalue product and materials. In some cases, certain products andmaterials, such as a needed test set, are shipped directly from thesupplier to a work center location where that item may be used ordistributed further to field service technicians. In those situationsaccountability and inventory are distributed and even more difficult fora field service operation to manage.

Today field service operations, whether they are involved incommunications services, heating-ventilation-air conditioning (HVAC)services, plumbing services, or termite control services, have fieldservice technicians or engineers that have assets which go in motion,i.e. become “kinematic.” The very nature of “field service” means thattechnicians are out with customers and partners, i.e. “in the field.”Today assets used by field service technicians are not tracked with thekind of precision needed for proper accountability and control. In somecases today, where companies have tried to implement accountability andcontrol measures, increases in labor costs and human intervention havebeen known to cause errors and reduce the accuracy of these controlmeasures.

SUMMARY

A system for managing kinematic assets is disclosed. In one embodiment,the system comprises an electronic identification device associated withan asset. The system further comprises a container comprising a readerdisposed within the container for receiving a unique identification ofthe identification device. The container further comprises a reader nodefor maintaining an inventory record comprising the asset and forgenerating a report when the asset is not detected by said reader. Thereport further comprises a location of the container when said report isgenerated. The system further comprises a Kinematic asset managementplatform comprising an asset registry for storing data conveyed by thereport and a reports engine for generating a second report conveying thelocation of said container when the report is generated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part ofthis application, illustrate embodiments of the subject matter, andtogether with the description of embodiments, serve to explain theprinciples of the embodiments of the subject matter. Unless noted, thedrawings referred to in this brief description of drawings should beunderstood as not being drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 shows an example Kinematic Asset Management System in accordancewith various embodiments.

FIG. 2 shows an example fixed location implementing asset identificationtechnology in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 3A shows components of an example reader node in accordance withvarious embodiments.

FIG. 3B shows an example vehicle implementing asset identificationtechnology in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example Kinematic asset managementplatform in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example computer system used inaccordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for managing kinematic assets inaccordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method of implementing moving and staticwarehouses in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method for implementing high-value equipmentloss protection in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a method for integrating work, workers, andassets in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method for compensating for detectionshortcomings in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 11 shows an example of locating and reporting assets in accordancewith another embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments, examples ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the subjectmatter will be described in conjunction with these embodiments, it willbe understood that they are not intended to limit the subject matter tothese embodiments. On the contrary, the subject matter described hereinis intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, whichmay be included within the spirit and scope as defined by the appendedclaims. In some embodiments, all or portions of the electronic computingdevices, units, and components described herein are implemented inhardware, a combination of hardware and firmware, a combination ofhardware and computer-executable instructions, or the like. Furthermore,in the following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of the subject matter.However, some embodiments may be practiced without these specificdetails. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, objects,and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarilyobscure aspects of the subject matter.

Notation and Nomenclature

Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the followingdiscussions, it is appreciated that throughout the present Descriptionof Embodiments, discussions utilizing terms such as “associating,”“establishing,” “maintaining,” “transferring,” “detecting,” “reporting,”“storing,” “receiving,” “determining,” “disregarding,” “using,”“conveying,” “generating,” “displaying,” “indicating,” “including,”“providing,” “assigning,” “accessing,” or the like, often (but notalways) refer to the actions and processes of a computer system orsimilar electronic computing device such as, but not limited to, adisplay unit and/or a lifting device sensor unit or component thereofThe electronic computing device manipulates and transforms datarepresented as physical (electronic) quantities within the electroniccomputing device's processors, registers, and/or memories into otherdata similarly represented as physical quantities within the electroniccomputing device's memories, registers and/or other such informationstorage, processing, transmission, or/or display components of theelectronic computing device or other electronic computing device(s).

Overview of Discussion

Example units, systems, and methods for kinematic asset management aredescribed herein. Discussion begins with description of the terms assetand kinematic asset. Discussion continues with description of componentscomprising an enterprise-wide employment of a kinematic asset managementsystem in accordance with various embodiments. Components of a kinematicasset management platform are then discussed. Discussion then turns todescription of the concept of a moving warehouse/static warehouse inaccordance with various embodiments. A High-value Equipment LossProtection implementation is then discussed. An exampleWork-Worker-Asset implementation is then described. A method forcompensating for detection shortcomings is then discussed. An examplecomputer system is then discussed, with which or upon which variouscomponents, method procedures, or portions thereof may be implemented.

Assets and Kinematic Assets

Various embodiments implement a Kinematic Asset Management platformwhich can interact with an Inventory Management application for companyassets that typically move via company vehicles from one companylocation to another company location, or to a customer location andprovides multiple levels of improvements in managing company assets. Asa result, not only is the warehouse inventory control extended farbeyond the warehouse's walls and out into the entire fleet but theentire inventory monitoring process in that fleet is automated andcontinually running The Kinematic Asset Management Platform can beintegrated with or alongside of enterprise asset management systems andasset inventory systems. For example, the Kinematic Asset ManagementPlatform combined with an asset inventory application would result in aKinematic Asset Inventory Management application.

In accordance with various embodiments, the term “asset”, describes acompany's equipment (tools, test equipment, etc.) and for a company'sproducts and consumables (e.g. TV set top boxes, cable modems, otherhardware). These are considered assets to the extent that their monetaryor business process value warrants knowing where they are and thus theyare assets worth monitoring. In addition to the above described categoryof assets, the term “asset” also describes the vehicles that carry themare themselves company assets. A vehicle is an asset that can containother assets. Similar to vehicles, the term “asset” also describes aphysical building which can itself be considered a company asset and italso can contain other assets. In accordance with various embodiments,the term “asset” also describes employees of a company. As with otherassets, they too can move and also be contained inside of another asset(e.g. a driver in a van).

“Standard” assets, warehouses and vehicles are in this context treatedgenerally the same and differ mostly in only several attributes. Forexample, a warehouse is an asset that can contain other assets, cannotmove and is at a known/static location. A vehicle is an asset that canalso contain other assets, but can move and whose location is dynamic,or kinematic, and can be determined using Global Navigation SatelliteSystem (GNSS) receivers. A voltmeter is an asset that cannot containother assets, but can move and whose location is not self-determined butis determined using a sensor/tag (e.g. RFID) that is read by anotherasset whose location is somehow known (e.g. warehouse or vehicle). Thus,in various embodiments, an “asset” can be anything/anyone owned, used,or employed by an entity.

In accordance with various embodiments, the term “kinematic asset”describes an asset whose location and/or container changes during thenormal course of business. If an asset can be located geographically(e.g. with GNSS or in the case of a building or other immovable asset,at a fixed location) or can be located in or near another asset (e.g.with RFID), it can be interrelated with other kinematic andnon-kinematic assets and events. In various embodiments, an entity'svehicles are considered warehouses just like the entity's buildings, orother fixed assets. They both are simply containers for other assets. Sowhile a vehicle is considered a warehouse, it is also considered akinematic asset. In other words, there is no technical differencebetween a warehouse building and a company vehicle other than avehicular warehouse can move.

In accordance with various embodiments, a kinematic asset managementplatform is provided with can interact with asset positioning, inventorymanagement, human resource, dispatch, work ordering, and field serviceoperations components to monitor and manage kinematic assets for anentity. Various embodiments can interact with existing supply chainmanagement and inventory control systems to facilitate inventory,management, and accountability of enterprise assets used in fieldservice operations located in warehouses, depots, garages, and storerooms as the move from fixed storage sites (e.g., become kinematic) inan enterprise vehicle and return to the fixed site, or are potentiallytransferred to another enterprise vehicle. Various embodiments implementasset-identification technology such as RFID with Location Based Service(LBS) technology for enterprise vehicles to allow full asset managementfunctions throughout an asset's lifecycle within an enterprise whereverthe asset is moved. Kinematic asset management of enterprise assets thattend to go into the field can be isolated to enterprise vehicles andequipment in various embodiments. Alternatively, if an enterprise wantsto monitor the full lifecycle of its assets and provide full integrationof data, the enterprise can deploy the same technology applied toenterprise vehicles to warehouses, depots, store rooms, etc. inaccordance with various embodiments. This would allow monitoring andmanaging fixed and mobile assets together.

In addition to providing inventory for all monitored areas (e.g.,storerooms, vehicles, etc.) various embodiments implement a kinematicasset management platform (e.g., 150 of FIG. 1) can be used to addressoverstocking of inventory. As an example, some field technicians willintentionally overstock their vehicles to ensure that they do no run outof items while in the field. This excess inventory in turn carries acost on the company books. In accordance with various embodiments,kinematic asset management platform 150 will provide to a user the levelof inventory in the company's vehicle fleet which allows another system,or person, to determine whether a vehicle is overstocked with a givenitem. The kinematic asset management platform can also be used tofacilitate product delivery verification. In accordance with variousembodiments, kinematic asset management platform 150 will provideinformation to a user of what items have entered and left a vehicle andat what time of place. This information can be used by another system,or person, to verify that the correct items have been delivered to thecorrect location. Similarly, in various embodiments, kinematic assetmanagement platform 150 can be used to ensure that all high-valueequipment is on the vehicle when the vehicle leaves a work site. In oneexample, an inventory of what items, equipment, and personnel are in avehicle when the vehicle leaves a work site can be provided to anothersystem, or person, to facilitate determining whether all of theequipment is on the vehicle. By determining whether the correctpersonnel are also present, various embodiments can be used to determinewhether the vehicle is being stolen as well.

In another embodiment, kinematic asset management platform 150 can beused to ensure that the correct equipment, items, and personnel are inthe vehicle to begin that vehicle's scheduled service run. In otherwords, for the service stops scheduled for that vehicle on that day,kinematic asset management platform 150 will provide to another system,or person, a list of the equipment (e.g., test sets, tools, etc.)present on the vehicle before it begins its service schedule. Thisfacilitates determining whether the vehicle is properly stocked for theservice run it is about to begin. As a result, drivers will be lessinclined to overstock their vehicles prior to beginning a service run.Also, kinematic asset management platform 150 can provide the identityof the driver of that vehicle as well. This can be provided to anothersystem, or person, which can determine whether that driver is qualifiedto perform all of the services scheduled for that vehicle on a givenday.

Enterprise-wide Employment of a Kinematic Asset System

FIG. 1 shows an example Kinematic Asset Management System 100 inaccordance with various embodiments. In FIG. 1, a fixed location 101 canbe a warehouse, depot, garage, office, equipment room, or other facilitywhich is at a fixed location. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, fixedlocation 101 is associated with, or described by, an assetidentification 101A. As will be described in greater detail below, assetidentifications such as 101A, 105A, 110A, 115A, 120A, etc. are used by aKinematic Asset Management Platform (e.g., 150 of FIG. 1), to identifyand monitor assets of an enterprise. As shown in FIG. 1, fixed location101 further comprises an asset 105 which is located at fixed location101. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, asset 105 is also associated with, ordescribed by, a respective asset identification 105A. In FIG. 1, mobilelocation 110 comprises a vehicle such as a truck, car, constructionvehicle, etc. used by an enterprise. Again, mobile location 110 isassociated with, or described by, a respective asset identification110A. In FIG. 1, system 100 further comprises a worker 120. As describedabove, in various embodiments assets can comprise locations, vehicles,equipment, consumables, and employees. Thus, in the embodiment of FIG.1, worker 120 is associated with, or described by, a respective assetidentification 120A. It is noted that in various embodiments, one ormore asset may be associated with, or described by, a plurality of assetidentifications.

In accordance with various embodiments, a respective assetidentification is implemented using machine readable identification anddetection technology. This can include, but is not limited to, RFIDtags, barcodes, and cameras as well as manually entered data. It isnoted that the term “RFID tag” can include a variety of technologiesincluding, but not limited to, WiFi tags (e.g., compliant with theInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11standards), RuBee tags (e.g., compliant with the IEEE 1902 standard),Bluetooth tags (e.g., compliant with the IEEE 802.15 standard), the IEEE802.15.1 standard for personal area networks, ZigBee tags (e.g.,compliant with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard), as well as other devicescompliant with other implementations of the IEEE 802.15 standards forwireless personal area networks. In various embodiments, a respectiveasset identification can also be implemented using various barcodetechnologies such as a standard linear barcode, a stacked linear barcodea proximity barcode, a matrix 2D, barcode, or the like. In variousembodiments, a respective asset identification can be captured usingcameras or video equipment. In various embodiments, Kinematic AssetManagement System 100 is configured to accept one or more of thefollowing image file formats: the Join Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)format, the JPEG 2000 format, the Exchangeable Image File (Exif) format,the tagged Image File Format (TIFF), the Portable Network Graphics (PNG)format, the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF), a bitmap file, the JPEGXR format, the InterLeaved BitMap (ILBM) format, the Adobe PhotoShopDocument (PSD) format, and the Corel Paint Shop Pro (PSP) format.Furthermore, Kinematic Asset Management System 100 is also configured toaccept various image vector formats such as the Scalable Vector Graphics(SVG) standard, of various implementations of 2D and 3D vector formats,as well as various implementations of compound formats and stereoformats. In various embodiments, a worker's asset identification (e.g.,120A of FIG. 1) is implemented using machine readable identificationtags capable of conveying data using, for example, RFID-basedidentification data, magnetic swipe cards, a barcode, 26-bit Wiegandtechnology, smart cards, or the like.

In FIG. 1, system 100 further comprises a Kinematic Asset ManagementPlatform 150. In accordance with various embodiments, Kinematic AssetManagement Platform 150 collects, stores, and reports kinematic assetinformation and position data and is integrated with enterpriseinventory and operations applications. Kinematic Asset ManagementPlatform 150 also provides interfaces for other enterprise assetmanagement, dispatch systems, workflow, supply chain, human resource,and work ordering systems.

FIG. 2 shows an example fixed location 101 implementing assetidentification technology in accordance with various embodiments. InFIG. 2, fixed location 101 comprises a warehouse 201, a store room 202,a closet 203, and a back room 204. It is noted that while FIG. 2 showsfixed location 101 as a building, in various embodiments fixed location101 can also be an outdoor space including, but not limited to, aparking lot, equipment storage yard, or the like. A plurality of readernodes (e.g., 220, 221, 222, 223, and 224) is coupled with a plurality ofreaders which are configured to capture asset identification data. Thus,reader node 220 is coupled with readers 220A and 220B, reader node 221is coupled with readers 221A and 221B, reader node 222 is coupled withreaders 222A and 222B, reader node 223 is coupled with readers 223A and223B, and reader node 224 is coupled with readers 224A and 224B. Inaccordance with various embodiments, readers 220A, 220B, 221A, 221B,222A, 222B, 223A, 223B, 224A and 224B are RFID readers, barcode readers,camera/video equipment, magnetic swipe card readers, 26-bit Wiegandreaders, smart card readers, or other sensors which are placed withinfixed location 101 to detect assets. In accordance with variousembodiments, readers 220A, 220B, 221A, 221B, 222A, 222B, 223A, 223B,224A and 224B can be located at doorways of fixed location 101 tomonitor when assets move from one room to another, or are taken outsideof fixed location 101. Additionally, readers 220A, 220B, 221A, 221B,222A, 222B, 223A, 223B, 224A and 224B can be placed throughout fixedlocation 101 to monitor assets which may not be detected in a largerarea when assets are located away from doorways.

In accordance with various embodiments, reader nodes 220, 221, 222, 223,and 224 can be autonomous reader nodes which do not require manualintervention by a user (e.g., implementing RFID technologies describedabove). In at least one embodiment, an autonomous reader node isimplemented as a roving cart or vehicle which detects the presence ofassets, records its own position (e.g., using RFID cards with positioninformation, GNSS receivers, etc.) and reports to Kinematic AssetManagement Platform 150 (e.g., via a WiFi network, cellular network, orother wireless communication technology). Reader nodes 220, 221, 222,223, and 224 may also comprises “manned” stations which implementbarcode readers, or other technologies which necessitate manualintervention by a user. It is noted that reader nodes 220, 221, 222,223, and 224 can implement both autonomous and manual technologies in atleast one embodiment. Thus, if an asset is tagged with an RFID tag and abarcode, both forms of object identification can be read at reader nodes220, 221, 222, 223, and 224. As an example, in FIG. 2 reader node 220 iscoupled with reader 220A which can be an RFID reader, implementing oneor more of the RFID technologies described above, and with reader 220Bwhich can be a barcode reader. In one or more embodiments, reader nodes220, 221, 222, 223, and 224 are implemented using a computer system(e.g., computer system 500 of FIG. 5) which is coupled with a network215. In one or more embodiments, reader nodes 220, 221, 222, 223, and224, and reader devices respectively coupled therewith, can beimplemented as a single device. Additionally, reader nodes 220, 221,222, 223, and 224 can be used in provisioning assets into a KinematicAsset Management Network in various embodiments. In at least oneembodiment, a reader node is responsible for maintaining an inventory ofthe items contained within the containers (e.g., rooms, vehicles, etc.)that it is monitoring and communicating changes of that inventory toKinematic Asset Management Platform 150.

A typical RFID reader node continuously scans its area to detect newtags which may appear, or to report tags which have been previouslyresponding and are no longer responding. In one embodiment, a readernode will simply report these observations as objects which have enteredor left the are monitored by the reader node. For manually-enteredassociations, a user can log into Kinematic Asset Management Platform150 and manually declare asset associations and disassociations. Forexample, a user can login and specify that item A has been checked outof warehouse 201 and is now in a vehicle (e.g., 300 of FIG. 3B). In thecase of barcode reader nodes, some user intervention may be necessary tospecify that the asset identified by the barcode reader is entering orleaving a container.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, reader nodes 220, 221, 222, 223, and 224are coupled with reader node software. For example, reader nodes 220,221, and 222 are coupled with reader node software 210 while readernodes 223 and 224 are coupled with reader node software 211. Reader nodesoftware 210 and 211 act as hosts for appropriate sensors (RFID, barcodereader, etc.) and allow a user to make these associations. This softwareallows the user to select existing assets and identifiers already in thesystem as well as create new assets and/or identifiers during theprovisioning process. In various embodiments, more than one identifiermay be attached to an asset. This may be done to decrease the likelihoodthat an asset goes “unnoticed” by the sensors as may occur if anidentifier is occluded or otherwise put into a situation that makes itunreadable. The allowance for business assets to have more than onemachine-readable identifier must exist throughout the entire system. Inat least one embodiment, it may be desirable to monitor which softwareinstance of a reader node monitored separate sections of a facility.Thus, each of reader nodes 220,221,222,223, and 224 can be provisionedwith a unique login username which can be used to identify the readernode software to the system.

As shown in FIG. 2, a single instance of reader node software (e.g.,reader node software 210 of FIG. 2) can monitor multiplerooms/containers/areas as well as host multiple reader nodes, each withmultiple readers in different areas (e.g., reader node software 211 ofFIG. 2). In accordance with various embodiments, each instance of readernode software provides an installation mechanism that facilitates makingassociations and dissociation to system 100 for each of its monitoredassets, regardless of the physical installation of monitored areas,reader nodes, and readers. Reader node software 210 and 211 can beconfigured to provide a drop-down list of all rooms at fixed location101 from which selections can be made as well as an interface forcreating new rooms if necessary. In operation, each of the rooms offixed location 101 is considered a container of other assets. Thus, eachroom of fixed location 101 can be identified with a unique identifier

With reference again to FIG. 2, fixed location 101 further comprisesprovisioning stations 230 and 231. In accordance with variousembodiments, a provisioning station is simply a tool (e.g., a computersystem plus software) that facilitates the creation of Objects and theassociations of those Objects within the database of Kinematic AssetManagement Platform 150. In its simplest implementation, a provisioningstation adds assets into the system if they are not already recorded,adds an identification label into the system if it is not alreadyrecorded, and associates the label with the asset. Typically, theassociations of the Objects performed at a provisioning station are nodifferent than the associations made by RFID readers (for example)during the normal business day except that associations performed at aprovisioning station are done manually and they are expected to last avery long time, presumable the life of the provisioned Objects. In otherwords and for example, associating an RFID tag with a tool is logicallythe same as associating the tool with a van except that the tag/toolassociation is semi-permanent and the tool/van association is dynamiccan possibly change during the normal work day.

In accordance with various embodiments, provisioning (or“commissioning”) of assets involves the association of an identifier(e.g., 105A of FIG. 1) with an asset (e.g., 105 of FIG. 1). Thistypically comprises two aspects: physically attaching an identifier tothe asset and second, telling the system that this new identifier isassociated with that asset. These steps can occur at the same time, orcan be vastly separated in time and distance. The latter instance wouldbe the case if an asset came from the manufacturer with a suitableidentifier already attached. To simplify the process for the user, aprovisioning station (e.g., 231 and/or 231 of FIG. 2) restricts itsObject associations to associating Objects of the Role “Identification”with Objects that “make sense” (e.g., business assets, etc.). If theprovisioning station is an RFID Tag provisioning station, then it wouldcreate Objects of Type “RFID Tag” of particular Manufacturers andModels, creates “asset” (e.g., Objects of any reasonable existing Typeor newly created Type such as a tool) and associates the two Objectstogether using the Association type “Infrastructure”.

It is noted that provisioning stations 231 and 231 may provide moreinformation than just that created during provisioning For fixedprovisioning stations (vs. portable), the provisioning station softwareitself will be an Object in the system in a manner similar to readernode software 210 and 211 and are identified by a username/passwordunique to that provisioning station. Similar to an in-building node thatmonitors room(s) in that building (the rooms are Objects too) duringnormal business operations, provisioning stations 231 and 231 will bemade known to the system as Objects and will also be associated with theroom/area that they are in. Then, when an item is provisioned at thatparticular provisioning station, it is not only provisioned into thesystem but is also automatically located “in the provisioning area”where the provisioning station is located.

In accordance with various embodiments, any tool that can access the webservices provided by Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150 can be aprovisioning station. In one embodiment, the provisioning station couldaccept all information manually (typed). In this case, no externalperipherals, such as an RFID reader, would be required. Furthermore,provisioning stations do not have to be at fixed locations within fixedlocation 101. Portable provisioning tools (e.g., having integrated RFIDand/or barcode readers) could be deployed to provision assets “inplace”, thus eliminating the need to physically route all assets througha provisioning station at a fixed location.

While the association of identifiers to their corresponding assets istypically a one-by-one operation, in at least one embodimentprovisioning stations 231 and 231, or a web interface, are configured tobatch upload asset information. The batch upload simply pre-loads assets(e.g., 105 and 115 of FIG. 1) into the system for laterprovision/association by a provisioning station. For example, if assetsarrive from vendors/manufacturers already RFID-tagged, a batch upload ofthe assets and their identification associations can be made availableto provisioning stations 231 and 231.

In the example of FIG. 2, reader nodes 220, 221, 222, 223, and 224 arecoupled with either a local Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150A, ora cloud-network implemented Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150B vianetwork 215.

Object Categorization, Characterization, and Association

In accordance with various embodiments, each asset in an enterprise isregarded as an object. This is a naming convention and is done toimprove clarity in the system. Everything, everyone, and everywhere(e.g., tools, bar code labels, RFID tags, people, rooms in buildings,cities, vehicles, login accounts, cable boxes, etc.) in the database ofkinematic asset management platform 150 is an object. The categorizationand characterization of objects typically comprises three aspects: thetypes of objects, the role that objects of that type perform in thesystem, and the individual objects themselves. In general terms, anobject's type specifies what that object is, while the object's rolespecifies its purpose in the enterprise.

In an example of database fields used in various embodiments to describean object, Table 1 below shows example database fields and a descriptionof those fields in accordance with various embodiments.

TABLE 1 Field Description Account ID Account to which the objectbelongs. This ID refers to an item in an Accounts table. Object Type IDRefers to an Object Type database field. Object Name A name of theobject (e.g., hammer, drill bit, etc.) Object Serial Number A uniqueidentifier across all Objects in the database of that particular object.External Reference A free-form field used to identify this Object tosystems outside of the Kinematic Asset Management Platform. For example,if the object is listed as asset 1234 in the customer's SAP system, thisfield would contain 1234. Description Free form description of theobject.

In accordance with various embodiments, the Object Name and Descriptionfields may not be entered if the object is not unique to this particularobject. For example, if this Object is one of 100 Stanley Model400Hammer Drills, the serial number of this object alone may be entered.The Fields “Stanley,” “Model400,” and “Hammer Drill” would be containedin the Object Type referenced by the Object Type field.

As discussed above, the field “Object Type” specifies what an Object is.Object types are also contained in a database table. In variousembodiments, names of Objects include, but are not limited to, “MotorVehicles,” “Cable Boxes,” “RFID tags,” “Bar Code Labels,” “Persons,” and“Rooms” and are uniquely defined by their manufacturer and model whenappropriate. In one embodiment, the system has an initial list of ObjectTypes that belong to an account and additional object types can be addedto the system and “owned” by individual accounts. Thus, each account hasaccess to Object Types that belong to the root account and to thosecreated under their own account.

In an example of database fields used in various embodiments to describean Object Type, Table 1 below shows example database fields and adescription of those fields in accordance with various embodiments.

TABLE 2 Field Description Account ID Accounts to which this objectbelongs. This ID refers to an item in the Accounts table. Name “HammerDrill” (see other examples above) Manufacturer “Stanley” Model “400T”Description A free form description of the object. Role An object's roleis its purpose to the Enterprise.

In various embodiments, an Object type cannot share the samemanufacturer and model number in a given account. The specific datacontent of an Object Type distinguishes it from other types of objects.New object types may be created by users and subsequent queries andreports can extract information specific to those object types.Additionally, object types can be used for information extraction togenerate reports or alerts. For an example, a query can be generated to“List all the “Cable Boxes” in a given van.” In another example, a querycan be generated to “List the “Cable Boxes” of this manufacturer andthis model in a given van.” In another example, a query can be generated“How many Ronco Model 1000s are in a given room?”

In various embodiments, each type of Object has a role in the system.Roles include, but are not limited to, “Identification”, “BusinessAsset”, “Container”, and “Collection”. Special roles can be reserved forinternal use such as “System Access” for an Object with the object typeof “Login”. As discussed above, an Object's role defines its purpose inan enterprise. An Object's purpose could be to identify other objects,as a Container for other objects, as a Business Asset, etc. In oneembodiment, Object roles will be an enumerated list of roles rather thancontained in a separate database table. In the example below, whilepresented in a table for clarity, it is again noted that the Objectroles are described in an enumerated list.

TABLE 3 Role Description Examples Identification An object used asidentification RFID tag, for another object in the system bar code, etc.Container An object whose role is to contain Storeroom, van. otherobjects. Business Asset Typically an end user's tools, Cable set-topbox, equipment, and parts test-set, Collection A virtual object that isa oscilloscope. group of other objects (e.g., a “kit”). System AccessReader/Sensor Employee

To better differentiate between the roles of Container and Collection,in one embodiment a container is a physical asset such as a room orvehicle which contains other assets. In one embodiment, when presentingthe contents of a container, if another Container is found within thefirst Container (e.g., a storeroom within a warehouse), the drill downof objects in the container does not stop at the storeroom, butcontinues into the contents of the storeroom as well. In contrast, inone embodiment a Collection is considered a virtual asset that is simplya set of other assets which are treated as a single asset. Whenpresenting the contents of a Container, if a Collection is found (e.g.,an installation “kit” in a storeroom), the drill down stops and simplypresent the existence of the “kit” and not the individual assets withinthe kit.

In various embodiments, the relationship between Objects in the systemis called an Association. Object Association is a mechanism whichconnects all Objects in an Enterprise's system. This commonness allows avery simple database design which uses a list of objects and a secondlist describing how those objects are associated, regardless of how, orwhy, that association came to be. This allows a single hierarchyregarding all objects in the system. This hierarchy is uniform all theway from a tool and the tag on the tool, to the RFID reader installed ina vehicle reading the tag, to the vehicle itself being read by a readerinstalled in a warehouse. Object associations can typically be one of 2types: “Infrastructure” or “Operation”. Infrastructure associationstypically include “provisioning” where a business asset (e.g., asset 105of FIG. 1) is labeled with an RFID label (e.g., Asset ID 105A of FIG.1). In one embodiment, the relationship between the RFID label and thebusiness asset is an “Infrastructure Association”. In this example, theRFID label and the business asset are separate and distinct Objects inthe database of Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150. The fact thatthe RFID label has been adhered to the business asset is added to theAssociations table of Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150 as part ofthe provisioning process. This association does not affect either theRFID label object record or the business asset object record in theObjects table. In various embodiments, all associations that are part ofthe infrastructure of the system are identified in the Associationstable with an Association Type of “Infrastructure”. These include, butare not limited to, n RFID label or tag attached to a business asset, anRFID reader installed in a vehicle, RFID readers installed in buildings,etc. Typically, these Infrastructure Associations tend to besemi-permanent and change only during a change of infrastructure such asreplacing broken or lost RFID tags or equipment or possibly moving tagsor readers to different locations/assets. Other than the semi-permanenceof these associations, they are identical to the frequently changingassociations that occur during the normal business day, associationsthat are determined by reading RFID tags and bar codes instead ofattaching labels and tags to business assets.

In contrast, Operation Associations can change during the normal courseof a company's business. These are the associations that occur when asensor, such as an RFID reader, detects that an object is nearby. Thisdetection creates a direct association in the system between the readerand the identification label and subsequently a logical associationbetween the container in which the Reader is installed and the businessasset to which the label is attached.

These associations are dynamic, but other than their Type of Association(in this case, “Operation”), they are identical in the database to theinfrastructure associations created during asset provisioning and systemequipment installations. In various embodiments, associations that occurduring the operation of a customer's business are identified in theAssociations table with an Association Type of “Operation”. Theseinclude, but are not limited to, RFID detection of assets in containerssuch as storerooms and vehicles, manual entry of asset location (e.g.manually declaring “The oscilloscope is in van 00123”), etc.

Ownership of Objects

In accordance with various embodiments, some Object Associations arebetween an asset and the container within which that asset is located.Sometimes this association indicates “ownership” such as when a tool iswithin a van. In other cases it simply indicates a physical state (e.g.,the result of multi-layer containment), such as when a tool is within avan (a container) and the van is within a warehouse (another container).As an example, if a hammer is within a van and the van is within awarehouse then the hammer is physically and literally in the warehouse.However, the hammer is not ‘owned by’ the warehouse. It's “owned” by thevan. This comes into play when, for example, someone asks how manyhammers are currently in a warehouse. The response should not includethe hammers that are within a van that just happens to be parked within,or proximate to, the warehouse at that time. In other words, “within” isa physical state while “owned by” is an operations/business state. Forexample, if a vehicle (e.g., mobile location 110) is parked near fixedlocation 101, and the readers of both the vehicle and fixed asset detectthe asset identification 105A of asset 105, the reader nodes of both thevehicle and fixed location 101 will report the presence of asset 105 toKinematic Asset Management Platform 150. Kinematic Asset ManagementPlatform 150 will then apply rules to prevent reporting the presence ofasset 105 in two different locations at the same time. For example,Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150 can implement a rule in whichall possibilities are presented. As a result, Kinematic Asset ManagementPlatform 150 would present to a user that asset 105 is in fixed location101 as well as in mobile location 110. In another embodiment, KinematicAsset Management Platform 150 can implement a rule which states thatassets are owned by their respective containers until “released” (e.g.,assigned ownership to another container). In this case, Kinematic AssetManagement Platform 150 would present to a user that, for example, asset105 is in fixed location 101. In another embodiment, Kinematic AssetManagement Platform 150 can implement a rule which states that the assetis owned by any new container that claims it. In this example, KinematicAsset Management Platform 150 would present to a user that asset 105 iswithin mobile location 110. In another example, Kinematic AssetManagement Platform 150 can implement a rule which states that in caseswhere there is some ambiguity as to where the asset is located, thelocation of that asset will not be definitely reported. In this example,Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150 would report to a user thatKinematic Asset Management system 100 cannot report with certainty whereasset 105 is located.

In accordance with various embodiments, “ownership vs. containment” maybe resolved by Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150 and/or variousreader nodes (e.g., 220, 22, 222, 223, and 224 of FIG. 2, or 315 of FIG.3B) using the Roles of the Objects and whether the associations of thoseObjects are Infrastructure Associations or Operation Associations. Forexample, the contents of warehouses are expected to be in areas of thewarehouse such as storerooms. However, normally it would not expectedthat the content of the warehouses to be in vehicles that happen to bepulled into the warehouse. This requires a different presentation forseparate cases in which a hammer is within a storeroom within thewarehouse and a hammer within a vehicle within the warehouse.

In accordance with various embodiments, to properly respond to a queryfor the content of a container (e.g. warehouse, van, city, etc.), thecontents of all containers that are “Infrastructure associated” with thequeried container are to be included. This requires recursion in casethere is more than one level of sub-container. So, the contents ofmonitored storerooms that are “infrastructure-ally associated” with awarehouse are included in the content of the warehouse but the contentof the van parked within the warehouse that is “operationallyassociated”, rather than “infrastructure-ally associated”, with thewarehouse is not.

FIG. 3A shows components of an example reader node 300 in accordancewith various embodiments. In the embodiment of FIG. 3A, reader node 300comprises a computer system 301 (e.g., computer system 500 of FIG. 5),and a data transceiver 302. In accordance with various embodiments, datatransceiver 302 comprises a wired or wireless communication transceiver.For example, data transceiver 302 may utilize communication standardsand protocols including, but not limited to, WiFi network protocols(e.g., compliant with the Institute of Electrical and ElectronicsEngineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards), the Bluetooth wireless standard(e.g., compliant with the IEEE 802.15 standard), the IEEE 802.15.1standard for personal area networks, the ZigBee specification forwireless personal area networks (e.g., compliant with the IEEE 802.15.4standard), as well as other devices compliant with other implementationsof the IEEE 802.15 standards for wireless personal area networks. InFIG. 3A, computer system 301 is communicatively coupled with at leastone reader (e.g., 310 and 320) which in tum may be coupled withrespective sensing devices such as antennas 321 and 322. As describedabove, a reader can comprise any sensing technology such as RFIDreaders, cameras, swipe card readers, and the like. In one embodiment, areader node comprises at least one integrated reader device (e.g., 303of FIG. 3A). In other embodiments, reader nodes are communicativelycoupled with reader devices which are located separately from the readernode itself

In various embodiments, reader node 300 further comprises a locationidentification device 304. In one embodiment, the location of readers310 and 320, as well as reader node 300, are recorded when they aredisposed in a fixed location. This can comprise the GPS coordinates ofreaders 310 and 320, as well as of reader node 300. Alternatively, otherposition references such as the address of a building where reader node300 and/or readers 310 and 320 are located, or a local referencecoordinate system can be used to convey the location at which readernode 300 and readers 310 and 320 are located. In the instance in whichreader node 300 is associated with a moving asset such as a vehicle,location identification device 304 can comprise a position determinationcomponent such as a GNSS receiver. Alternatively, locationidentification device 304 can comprise a passive device such as a RFIDtag, or the like, which is detected by other readers located at knownlocations.

FIG. 3B shows an example vehicle 350 implementing an example reader node(e.g., 300 of FIG. 3A) in accordance with various embodiments. It isnoted that vehicle 350 of FIG. 3B is intended as one example of a mobilelocation 110 described above with reference to FIG. 1. Furthermore,while components shown in FIG. 3B are described as separate entities, inone or more embodiments the components described in FIG. 3B can becombined in various configurations. In the example of FIG. 3B, vehicle350 is equipped with a location identification component 304. In oneembodiment, location identification component 304 is for receivingbroadcast radio signals from orbiting satellites and deriving a positionof vehicle 350. For example, in one embodiment, location identificationcomponent 304 comprises an integrated GNSS antenna/receiver unit.Vehicle 350 is further equipped with a plurality of antennae (e.g., 311,312, 313, and 314) which are coupled with a reader 310 and placed toprovide a complete coverage of the interior of vehicle 350. It is notedthat antennae 311, 312, 313, and 314 can implement any of the RFIDtechnologies discussed above, as well as barcode readers, manual datainput devices, image recorders such as cameras or video recorders,magnetic swipe card readers, etc. In one or more embodiments, variouscombinations of the above listed technologies can be implemented in asingle vehicle. Furthermore, more or less antennae than shown in FIG. 3Bcan be utilized in accordance with various embodiments. Vehicle 350 isalso equipped with door sensors 315A and 315B. In a vehicle, continuousoperation of reader 310 and/or antennae 311, 312, 313, and 314 can leadto excessive battery drain. Therefore, in at least one embodiment,rather than continuously scanning for RFID tags, reader 310 and/orantennae 311, 312, 313, and 314 will be actuated when theopening/closing of doors of vehicle 350 is detected by door sensors 315Aand 315B. This can include when the vehicle power is shut off. In thisinstance, reader 310 can be configured to initiate collecting data fromantennae 311, 312, 313, and 314 for a period (e.g., 2 minutes) after theopening or closing of a door of vehicle 350 is detected. It is notedthat reader 310 can also initiate periodic scans for RFID tags at somegreater interval than might be implemented at fixed location 101 such asonce every half hour, hourly, every two hours, etc. Furthermore, in atleast one embodiment, when the vehicle power is turned on, antennae 311,312, 313, and 314 can be operated in a continuous, or shortened pollinginterval mode. One advantage of using door sensors 315A and 315B is thatreader 310 can initiate a scan for assets within vehicle 350 every timethe operator of vehicle 350 closes the doors in preparation to leave asite. Thus, an inventory of assets within vehicle 350 can beautomatically performed before vehicle 350 leaves its current location.This can ensure that no equipment or other assets have been left behind,or that vehicle 350 is leaving a warehouse with its correct inventory ofassets. Another advantage of using door sensors 315A and 315B is thatwhen a door is opened, an asset is more likely being moved into or outof a vehicle and can be more readily detected by antennae 311, 312, 313,and 314 than if the asset is stored, for example, on a shelf withinvehicle 350 where one or more of its asset IDs (e.g., 105A of FIG. 1)may be placed within vehicle 350 in such a manner that its asset ID isobscured.

In FIG. 3B, vehicle 350 is also equipped with a data transceiver 302coupled with a wireless antenna 330. In accordance with variousembodiments, data transceiver 302 may operate on any suitable wirelesscommunication protocol including, but not limited to: WiFi, WiMAX, WWAN,implementations of the IEEE 802.11 specification, cellular, two-wayradio, satellite-based cellular (e.g., via the Inmarsat or Iridiumcommunication networks), mesh networking, implementations of the IEEE802.15.4 specification for personal area networks, and implementationsof the Bluetooth® standard. In one embodiment, a plurality of the abovedescribed communication standards may be implemented using one or moredata transceiver(s) 302 to provide redundant communication capabilities.

Periodically, reader 310 generates a command to antennae 311, 312, 313,and 314 to detect assets within vehicle 350. When assets are detectedwithin vehicle 350, this information is time/date stamped and this datais stored by reader 310. In various embodiments, reader 310 can detectthe direction of movement of an asset into or out of vehicle 350 basedupon successive readings of an asset tag using antennae 311, 312, 313,and 314. Simultaneously, a position of vehicle 350 is derived usinglocation identification component 304. In accordance with oneembodiment, computer system 301 maintains a record of assets it detectswithin vehicle 350 and reports changes of that inventory to KinematicAsset Management Platform 150 along with position data, time stamps, aswell as messages and alerts from other reporting sources. Additionally,computer system 301 can generate an asset report (e.g., periodically, orin response to a query generated by Kinematic Asset Management Platform150) which is wirelessly conveyed to Kinematic Asset Management Platform150. This facilitates maintaining an up to date record of all assets,including kinematic assets, for an enterprise. In addition, in at leastone embodiment computer system 301 is configured to monitor assetswithin vehicle 350 and to generate alerts if, for example, vehicle 350leaves a site without the proper assets being detected by antennae 311,312, 313, and 314. Thus, if vehicle 350 travels a pre-determineddistance from a site, and if assets assigned to or owned by vehicle 350are detected by antennae 311, 312, 313, and 314, reader 310 willgenerate an alert on computer system 301 (e.g., using a display device518 of FIG. 5) to notify the driver. The driver can then return to thelast site visited or otherwise resolve why the missing assets have notbeen detected by antennae 311, 312, 313, and 314. It is noted that,while not shown in FIG. 3B, computer system 301 can be configured withinstances of software similar to reader node software 210 and 211 ofFIG. 2. Furthermore, computer system 301 can also act as a provisioningstation in various embodiments.

Kinematic Asset Management Platform

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example Kinematic Asset ManagementPlatform 150 in accordance with various embodiments. In FIG. 4, acommunication gateway 401 receives vehicle data (e.g., from vehicle 350of FIG. 3B) including, but not limited to, the position or location ofthe vehicle, a time stamp, the speed and direction of travel, vehiclediagnostic data, and asset data including, but not limited to,identification of assets using RFID tag data, barcode data, ID badgenumbers, time of last capture of asset inventory, etc. In FIG. 4, thisdata is received into an incoming data store 402 which can comprise adatabase 402A that holds the data described above. In FIG. 4, incomingdata store 402 is in turn coupled with a GPS/GNSS positioning platform403 and an asset management platform 404.

In FIG. 4, asset management platform 404 is coupled with a vehiclepositioning database 410 and an asset registry 420. In one embodiment,asset registry 420 is a cloud based implementation which receives timestamped asset data which is also correlated with GPS/GNSS positioningdata. In at least one embodiment, asset registry 420 maintains an assetlocation history which is stored, for example, for one year. Inaccordance with various embodiments, asset registry 420 compriseshardware and software logic that implements a relational database toprovide complete inter-relationships between all items in asset registry420. In one or more embodiments, the predominant inter-relationships arebased on the dynamic location of, and the changing containers for, mostof the assets of an enterprise. In other words, the kinematics of theseassets. One function of asset registry 420 is to define assets in such away that their attributes (e.g., static, dynamic, and relational) areuseful to the applications other enterprise applications which accessKinematic Asset Management Platform 150. In other words, Kinematic AssetManagement Platform 150 can be integrated into an enterprise's existingasset management system to enhance their functionality by monitoringkinematic assets.

In FIG. 4, GPS/GNSS positioning platform 403 and asset managementplatform 404 are coupled with a reports engine 430. In accordance withvarious embodiments, reports engine 430 generates reports (e.g.,standardized reports, or user definable reports) of inventories, assetlocations, operational status, or any other data element stored byKinematic Asset Management Platform 150 on a periodic schedule, or ondemand from a user. In accordance with various embodiments, reportsengine 430 pulls data from asset management platform 404 and GPS/GNSSpositioning platform. For example, in one embodiment asset registry 420contains data regarding asset relationships and the time and location ofasset relationship changes. However, the location of a vehicle (e.g.,300 of FIG. 3B) in which the asset is located is contained in vehiclepositioning database 410. Thus, by pulling data from both sources, amore complete picture of the status and location of an asset can bederived by reports engine 430. In another embodiment, asset locationchanges are delivered to asset registry 420. Thus, the location of theasset vehicle (e.g., 300) is stored in asset registry 420 and anassociation is made between a detected asset and the vehicle location atthe time the asset was located. In various embodiments, reports engine430 can be configured to generate alerts based upon pre-determinedparameters. For example, if a high value item is removed from a vehicle,reports engine 430 can be configured to generate a report conveying thisevent. In another example, if the inventory of a given asset falls belowa pre-determined level, reports engine 430 will generate a reportconveying this information. In another example, if a vehicle moves apre-determined time and/or distance without the detection of an asset bythe reporting system of that vehicle, reports engine 430 can generate areport conveying that information. In another example, when a givenevent does not occur at a pre-determined time, reports engine 430 willreport this event. For example, if by 9:00 AM four assets with theattribute of “employee” are not associated with any asset with theattribute of “vehicle”, reports engine 430 will generate a report ofthis information. Reports engine 430 can also generate complex alertsbased upon numerous attributes. For example, if a high value item hasbeen removed from a vehicle, and no asset with the attribute of“employee” is currently associated with that vehicle, reports engine 430can generate a report indicating the possibility of theft of that highvalue item.

Furthermore, in FIG. 4 GPS/GNSS positioning platform 403 is coupled witha presentation component kinematic which is used as the presentationmechanism for some Kinematic Asset solutions. For example, presentationcomponent 440 can be a privately hosted information management system(e.g., a centrally hosted website for an enterprise) which permitsaccess to users internal and external to the enterprise. This caninclude calendar, file sharing, data exchange, reporting, andgeo-spatial data exchange across the enterprise. One example of apresentation component in accordance with various embodiments is theTrimble Connected Community platform commercially available from TrimbleNavigation of Sunnyvale, Calif. Thus, using presentation component 440,status of inventories, location of assets, or status of operations canbe accessed from Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150. In oneembodiment, presentation component 440 is capable of providing thisinformation for mobile applications operable on handheld devices such ascell phones, PDAs, tablet computer systems, laptop computer systems,etc. For example, it is understood the some remote/mobile nodes cancomprise handheld/mobile devices with their own GPS/GNSS and RFIDcapability which can convey the same information as a vehicularreporting system except that the handheld/mobile devices will use webservices directly while vehicular reporting systems may use a mechanismsuch as an over-the-air protocol.

In accordance with various embodiments, interactions with KinematicAsset Management Platform 150 will be via web services. In oneembodiment, these web services will be accessed either directly from thefield or user segments, or, for example, indirectly from the fieldsegment when the field node is a vehicle containing equipment that mayuse a proprietary protocol over a cell phone network that is in tumtranslated to web service calls at a server.

In FIG. 4, Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150 further comprises anintegration layer 445 comprising application programming interfaces andsoftware development kits for interacting with existing enterpriseapplications including, but not limited to, dispatch systems 450, supplychain systems 460, human resource systems 470, work order systems 480,and field service operations service ordering systems 490. In accordancewith various embodiments, integration layer 445 integrates andinterfaces with other systems to automate much of the asset managementprocess for an enterprise. By integrating with dispatch systems 450,Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150 can query asset registry 420 foravailable assets in response to a query from a dispatch engine. Thisfacilitates dispatching vehicles with needed assets to a job site moreefficiently. As discussed above, Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150can interface with supply chain systems 460, or other inventorymanagement systems (e.g., SAP, ERP, SCM, or the like) to receive assetdata from other enterprise inventory systems and to transmit asset datato those other systems. By integrating with human resource systems 470,Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150 can receive employee data (e.g.,equipment operating qualifications, or other qualifications) whichfacilitates assigning vehicles and other assets to the correct operatorand to the job to be performed. By integrating with work order systems480, Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150 can maintain a record ofassets which have been consumed in the field and add this data to ordersfor those consumable assets. By integrating Kinematic Asset ManagementPlatform 150 with field service operations service ordering systems 490,orders taken by customer service representatives can check assetavailability to facilitate assigning vehicles to jobs.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150further comprises an inventory component 415 and an operations component425. In various embodiments, inventory component 415 comprises a cloudbased implementation providing administrator functions including, butnot limited to, account set up, identifying allowable users,establishing roles and associated access, identifying customer inputpull down lists for data entry, establishing fixed sites and vehicles.User functions provided by inventory component 415 include, but are notlimited to, accessing asset registry 420, creating flexible reportsusing reports engine 430, and viewing and printing standard reportsusing reports engine 430. Inventory component 415 can also be used togenerate alerts to reports engine 430 including, but not limited to,monitoring vehicle asset inventory changes, monitoring vehiclelocations, monitoring vehicle movement, monitoring fixed site inventorychanges, establishing minimum inventory levels by item for sites,establishing minimum inventory levels by item for vehicles, andgenerating alerts when minimum inventory levels are reached.

In accordance with various embodiments, operations component 425comprises a cloud based implementation providing administrator functionsincluding, but not limited to, account set up, identifying allowableusers, establishing roles and associated access, identifying customerinput pull down lists for data entry, establishing fixed sites andvehicles, and setting a radius for dispatch system asset searches. Userfunctions provided by operations component 425 include, but are notlimited to, accessing asset registry 420, creating flexible reportsusing reports engine 430, viewing and printing standard reports usingreports engine 430, and receiving asset alerts (e.g., tools left behindat a work site). Operations component 425 also provides monitoringfunctions including, but not limited to, monitoring technician usage oftools, monitoring technician usage of company infrastructure equipmentand materials, monitoring usage of customer equipment and materials,monitoring technician/driver to vehicle assignments, monitoringtechnician/driver time spent in driver's seat, monitoring technicianusage of test sets. Operations component 425 can also be used togenerate alerts to reports engine 430 including, but not limited to,monitoring vehicle asset inventory changes, monitoring vehiclelocations, monitoring vehicle movement, generating alerts when a vehiclemoves without assets from the vehicles permanent asset list, generatingreal-time alert of theft of assets from a vehicle, generating real-timealerts of theft of assets from a fixed asset storage site, generatingreal-time alerts of asset inventory levels, generating real-time alertsof asset usage, responding to real-time query of equipment (e.g., toollocations, materials, customer equipment, etc.), and generating alertson left-behind tools. Additionally, operations component 425 can be usedto implement dispatch system functions including, but not limited to,receiving current vehicle locations, receiving current asset location byasset name, generating alerts when minimum inventory levels are reached,generating an alert when a required asset for a dispatch cannot befound, implementing real-time queries of technician/driver assigned tovehicles, and implementing real-time queries of tools in vehicles.

In operation, collects raw observation data of the proximity andidentification of tags or labels and converts that data into usablebusiness information such as the locations of vehicles, personnel,equipment, and other business assets. For example, a reader coupled witha reader node detects the proximity and identification of an ID tag.This raw observable of the ID tag is associated with the correspondingasset as well as with the container to which that asset is assigned. Thelocation of the container can also be accessed by Kinematic AssetManagement Platform 150 to determine the location of the asset bydetermining which container is associated with the reader and readernode which detected the asset. By accessing the location of thatcontainer, the location of the asset is also known.

Example Computer System Environment

With reference now to FIG. 5, all or portions of some embodimentsdescribed herein are composed of computer-readable andcomputer-executable instructions that reside, for example, incomputer-usable/computer-readable storage media of a computer system.That is, FIG. 5 illustrates one example of a type of computer (computersystem 500) that can be used in accordance with or to implement variousembodiments (e.g., Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150, reader nodes220, 221, 222, 223, 224, and 315, provisioning stations 231 and 231)which are discussed herein. It is appreciated that computer system 500of FIG. 5 is only an example and that embodiments as described hereincan operate on or within a number of different computer systemsincluding, but not limited to, general purpose networked computersystems, embedded computer systems, server devices, various intermediatedevices/nodes, standalone computer systems, handheld computer systems,multi-media devices, and the like. Computer system 500 of FIG. 5 is welladapted to having peripheral computer-readable storage media 502 suchas, for example, a floppy disk, a compact disc, digital versatile disc,universal serial bus “thumb” drive, removable memory card, and the likecoupled thereto.

System 500 of FIG. 5 includes an address/data bus 504 for communicatinginformation, and a processor 506A coupled to bus 504 for processinginformation and instructions. As depicted in FIG. 5, system 500 is alsowell suited to a multi-processor environment in which a plurality ofprocessors 506A, 506B, and 506C are present. Conversely, system 500 isalso well suited to having a single processor such as, for example,processor 506A. Processors 506A, 506B, and 506C may be any of varioustypes of microprocessors. System 500 also includes data storage featuressuch as a computer usable volatile memory 508, e.g., random accessmemory (RAM), coupled to bus 504 for storing information andinstructions for processors 506A, 506B, and 506C. System 500 alsoincludes computer usable non-volatile memory 510, e.g., read only memory(ROM), coupled to bus 504 for storing static information andinstructions for processors 506A, 506B, and 506C. Also present in system500 is a data storage unit 512 (e.g., a magnetic or optical disk anddisk drive) coupled to bus 504 for storing information and instructions.System 500 also includes an optional alphanumeric input device 514including alphanumeric and function keys coupled to bus 504 forcommunicating information and command selections to processor 506A orprocessors 506A, 506B, and 506C. System 500 also includes an optionalcursor control device 516 coupled to bus 504 for communicating userinput information and command selections to processor 506A or processors506A, 506B, and 506C. In one embodiment, system 500 also includes anoptional display device 518 coupled to bus 504 for displayinginformation.

Referring still to FIG. 5, optional display device 518 of FIG. 5 may bea liquid crystal device, cathode ray tube, plasma display device orother display device suitable for creating graphic images andalphanumeric characters recognizable to a user. Optional cursor controldevice 516 allows the computer user to dynamically signal the movementof a visible symbol (cursor) on a display screen of display device 518and indicate user selections of selectable items displayed on displaydevice 518. Many implementations of cursor control device 516 are knownin the art including a trackball, mouse, touch pad, joystick or specialkeys on alphanumeric input device 514 capable of signaling movement of agiven direction or manner of displacement. Alternatively, it will beappreciated that a cursor can be directed and/or activated via inputfrom alphanumeric input device 514 using special keys and key sequencecommands. System 500 is also well suited to having a cursor directed byother means such as, for example, voice commands. System 500 alsoincludes an I/O device 520 for coupling system 500 with externalentities. For example, in one embodiment, I/O device 520 is a modem forenabling wired or wireless communications between system 500 and anexternal network such as, but not limited to, the Internet.

Referring still to FIG. 5, various other components are depicted forsystem 500. Specifically, when present, an operating system 522,applications 524, modules 526, and data 528 are shown as typicallyresiding in one or some combination of computer usable volatile memory508 (e.g., RAM), computer usable non-volatile memory 510 (e.g., ROM),and data storage unit 512. In some embodiments, all or portions ofvarious embodiments described herein are stored, for example, as anapplication 524 and/or module 526 in memory locations within RAM 508,computer-readable storage media within data storage unit 512, peripheralcomputer-readable storage media 502, and/or other tangible computerreadable storage media.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method 600 for managing kinematic assets inaccordance with various embodiments. In operation 610 of FIG. 6, anelectronic identification device is associated with an asset. Asdescribed above, at least one asset identification 105A is coupled withasset 105. In accordance with various embodiments, these assetidentifications 105A comprise RFID tags, barcodes, magnetic swipe cards,or other machine readable identification devices that can be detected oridentified by a reader device and which uniquely identify each asset ofan enterprise such as system 100 of FIG. 1. During the provisioningprocess, asset identification 105A is associated with asset 105 and thisassociation is stored in asset registry 420. Additionally, each asset isassigned an attribute which facilitates determining the relationshipbetween various assets within the system. For example, as discussedabove a warehouse is an asset that can contain other assets, cannot moveand is at a known/static location. A vehicle is an asset that can alsocontain other assets, but can move and whose location is dynamic, orkinematic, and can be determined using Global Navigation SatelliteSystem (GNSS) receivers. A tool is an asset that cannot contain otherassets, but can move and whose location is not self-determined but isdetermined using a sensor/tag (e.g. RFID) that is read by another assetwhose location is somehow known (e.g. warehouse or vehicle). Inaccordance with various embodiments, associations between variousattributes of assets within an enterprise are made using Kinematic AssetManagement Platform 150. For example, an inventory query made toKinematic Asset Management Platform (e.g., how many test sets arecurrently deployed in the field) can be determined by searching how manyassets with the attribute “Test Set” are currently associated with avehicle.

In operation 620 of FIG. 6, a unique identification of theidentification device is received by a reader disposed within acontainer. In accordance with various embodiments, buildings, vehicles,storage units, trailers, etc. are treated as containers. As describedabove, the containers of system 100 are equipped with reader deviceswhich are capable of automatically, or manually, determining the uniqueidentification of the identification device coupled with an asset. Thus,the unique identification of an asset identification device coupled withan asset is detected by readers in a container and is stored in theinventory of the reader node coupled with that reader. Again, KinematicAsset Management Platform 150 can associate the unique identification ofan asset identification device with that asset to make the logicalconclusion that the asset itself has been detected at the location ofthe reader which detected the asset identification device.

In operation 630 of FIG. 6, an inventory record comprising the uniqueidentification is maintained by a reader node disposed within thecontainer. As discussed above, each reader node is responsible formaintaining an inventory of assets which have detected in the containerto which that reader node is assigned. In one embodiment, the readernode maintains a list of the unique identification of each assetidentification device which is coupled with an asset. Thus, a givenreader node can determine whether its inventory has been changed due tothe addition or removal of assets from the container which the readernode is monitoring by comparing successive lists of the uniqueidentification of each asset identification device which is coupled withan asset. Thus, when an asset is moved, or stored, within a container ofsystem 100, a reader(s) disposed within that container will detect theasset identification device and report the presence of that device to areader node coupled with that reader.

In operation 640 of FIG. 6, a report is generated by the reader nodewhen the unique identification is not detected by the reader and thereport comprises a location of the container when the report isgenerated. In accordance with various embodiments, the readers (e.g.,305A, 305B, 305C, and 305D of FIG. 3B) in a container (e.g., vehicle 350of FIG. 3B) periodically poll for asset identification devices (e.g.,105A) of assets located in a container. For example, RFID readersgenerate a wireless signal and receive responses from RFID tags whichare within communication range of the RFID reader. Thus, if an asset isremoved from the container, its associated RFID tag will not generate aresponse comprising the unique identification discussed above if theRFID reader polls for assets within the container. Similarly, if anasset is moved into a container (e.g., as vehicle 350), it will bedetected when the RFID reader next polls for asset within thatcontainer. In accordance with various embodiments, the reader node(e.g., 315 of FIG. 3B) coupled with the RFID reader will compare assetlists from respective polling instances and determine whether there is adiscrepancy between the contents of one inventory (e.g., uniqueidentification numbers or alpha-numeric sequences) and the contents ofanother. If there is a discrepancy between respective inventories, thereader node will generate a report conveying the contents of the latestinventory. In one or more embodiments, the reader node can also conveywhich assets are missing in the latest inventory in comparison with aprevious inventory, or may convey the contents of one or more previousinventories.

In operation 650 of FIG. 6, the data conveyed by the report is stored inan asset registry. As discussed above, asset registry 420 of KinematicAsset Management Platform 150 stores data comprising the uniqueidentification of each asset identification device, the attributes ofassets in an enterprise, and the location of those assets. In variousembodiments, the last known location of an asset can be included in areport of a missing asset. In addition, the location of the containerwhen the report of the missing asset was generated can also be included.This can facilitate determining where the asset was removed from thecontainer and in the possible recovery of that asset.

In operation 660 of FIG. 6, a second report is generated conveying alocation of the vehicle when the report was generated. As discussedabove, the location of every container in system 100 is known, or can bedetermined. For example, the location of fixed locations is known andstored in Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150 as an attribute. Inthe case of vehicles, the location of the vehicle can be determinedusing a GNSS receiver (e.g., 301 of FIG. 3B). In accordance with variousembodiments, when reader 310 determines that a report to Kinematic AssetManagement Platform 150 is to be generated, it receives a currentlocation of vehicle 350 which is included in the report. Additionally,reader 310 can receive a current location of vehicle 350 each time aninventory or assets within vehicle 350 is performed, or in response froma query from Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150.

Moving Warehouse/Static Warehouse

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method 700 of implementing moving and staticwarehouses in accordance with various embodiments. In operation 710, anidentification device, comprising a unique identification, is associatedwith an asset. As discussed above, each asset (e.g., 105 or 115 of FIG.10 is coupled with at least one respective asset identification device(e.g., 105A, or 115A of FIG. 1). The use of multiple assetidentification devices allows detection of assets using multiple machinereadable identification technologies, reduces the likelihood of losingan asset identification device, and increases the likelihood ofdetecting an asset using machine readable detection and identificationtechnologies.

In operation 720, an association is established between the uniqueidentification and a second unique identification of a fixed location.As discussed above, during the provisioning process, an association ismade between various objects within an enterprise. Thus, an assetidentification device has various attributes and can be associated withthe asset with which it is coupled. In various embodiments, eachcontainer (e.g., fixed location 101 and mobile location 110) can also beassociated with a unique identification (e.g., asset ID 101A and assetID 110A of FIG. 1. These asset identifications can be assignedattributes as well. For example, asset identification 101A can beassigned the attribute “Infrastructure” while asset identification 110Acan be assigned the attribute “Vehicle”.

In operation 730, an inventory is maintained comprising the asset by areader node disposed within the fixed location. As described above,reader nodes maintain an inventory of the assets which they havedetected using their respective readers (e.g., RFID readers, barcodereaders, etc.). Typically, the inventory is of the unique identificationsequences of asset identification devices which are coupled with assetsin the vicinity. In various embodiments, the reader nodes report thepresence, or absence, of these unique identification sequences ratherthan that of the assets themselves. Then, the correlation of the uniqueidentification sequence with its associated asset is performed byKinematic Asset Management Platform 150.

In operation 740, in response to the asset being transferred to a mobilelocation the asset is added to a second inventory maintained by a secondreader node disposed within the mobile location. For example, this maycomprise transferring the asset from the first inventory to the secondinventory when the asset itself is transferred to the mobile location.

In operation 750, detecting the unique identification is detected usinga reader disposed within the mobile location. In various embodiments,when an asset is moved from a fixed location such as a warehouse into amobile location such as a vehicle, the reader devices installed withinthe vehicle will automatically detect the presence of that asset. Again,the reader nodes actually record the presence of the uniqueidentification sequence rather than the asset itself.

In operation 760, the inventory is reported to a Kinematic AssetManagement Platform when the asset has been removed from the fixedlocation. As described above, the reader nodes maintain an inventory ofthe assets which are respectively assigned to them and/or which they areable to detect. Thus, when an asset is removed from a fixed location, itwill no longer be detected by a reader the next time a polling isperformed to detect all of the assets within the fixed location. Invarious embodiments, when a reader node determines that an asset hasbeen removed from a fixed site (e.g., is no longer detected at thesite), it will report this to Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150.

In operation 770, the second inventory is reported to the KinematicAsset Management Platform when the asset has been added to the secondinventory. Again, when the reader node of a mobile location such asvehicle 350 determines that a new asset has now been detected, it willadd this asset to its inventory. In accordance with various embodiments,this is simply treated as a transfer of assets from one warehouse (e.g.,fixed location 101 of FIG. 1) to another warehouse (e.g., mobilelocation 110 of FIG. 1). Thus, while the fixed asset reports that theasset has been removed, the reader node of the mobile location willreport the addition of this asset to its inventory.

High-value Equipment Loss Protection

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method 800 for implementing high-valueequipment loss protection in accordance with various embodiments. Inoperation 810, an identification device comprising a uniqueidentification is associated with an asset. In accordance with variousembodiments, at least one asset identification device (e.g., 105 A, or115A of FIG. 1) is coupled with an asset and logically associated withthat asset in asset registry 420. As described above, each asset in anenterprise is associated with a unique asset identification sequence. Bycoupling more than one asset identification device to an asset, thelikelihood of losing an asset identification device is reduced and thelikelihood of detecting an asset using machine readable detection andidentification technologies increases.

In operation 820, a reader disposed in a vehicle is used to detect whenthe asset is present at the vehicle. As discussed above, one or morereaders (e.g., 305A, 305B, 305C, and 305D of FIG. 3B) are disposedwithin vehicle 350. In various embodiments, multiple readers aredeployed within a vehicle to facilitate more complete coverage of theinterior of the vehicle when polling for assets present. As a result, itis less likely that an asset identification will be obscured from areader when trying to determine which assets are present within vehicle350.

In operation 830, a reader node disposed in the vehicle is used tomaintain an inventory of assets assigned to the vehicle, including theasset of operation 810. As discussed above, reader 310 maintains aninventory of assets assigned to vehicle 350 and/or assets which aredetected using readers 305A, 305B, 305C, and 305D.

In operation 840, the reader node determines that the asset is no longerpresent at the vehicle. In accordance with various embodiments, acomparison of successive inventories of assets indicates when assetshave been removed from, or brought into, vehicle 350. Again, this cancomprise a comparison of unique identification sequences which identifythe asset identification devices (e.g., 110A of FIG. 1) present invehicle 350.

In operation 850, a report is generated by the reader node when theasset is no longer present at the vehicle and is conveyed via a wirelesstransceiver. In accordance with various embodiments, when successiveinventories of assets indicate that assets have been removed from, orbrought into, vehicle 350 reader 310 can initiate generating a report toKinematic Asset Management Platform 150 indicating the change ininventory. In accordance with various embodiments, this is sent usingdata transceiver 302 of FIG. 3B.

In operation 860, the location of the vehicle is determined using aGlobal Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. In at least oneembodiment, when reader 310 initiates a polling of assets within vehicle315, it receives from GNSS antenna/receiver 301 an indication of thelocation at which vehicle 350 is located. Alternatively, reader 310 canreceive the indication of the location at which vehicle 350 is locatedwhen reader 310 determines a discrepancy between successive inventories.

Work-Worker-Asset Integration

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a method 900 for integrating work, workers, andassets in accordance with various embodiments. In operation 810, anindication of an asset needed to perform a task is received. Inaccordance with various embodiments, Kinematic Asset Management Platform150 is coupled with other enterprise software systems such as, but notlimited to, dispatch systems 450, supply chain systems 460, humanresources systems 470, work order systems 480, and field serviceoperations service ordering system 490. Thus, Kinematic Asset ManagementPlatform 150 can be integrated into an enterprise in such a way as toenhance the ability of that organization to plan and execute fieldservice operations. As an example, system 100 can be used to pollvehicles in the field to find out what equipment, consumables, andemployees are deployed, and where they are located. Thus, if a servicecall requires a specific type of equipment, or employees with specificskills, training, or experience, Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150can be used to locate these assets in near real time.

In operation 820, a request is generated to a plurality of reader nodesdisposed at a respective plurality of locations for an inventory ofassets within each of the respective plurality of locations. Inaccordance with various embodiments, Kinematic Asset Management Platform150 generates a request to deployed vehicles within an enterprise aswell as to fixed locations to determine where needed assets arecurrently located. In response, the reader nodes initiate polling ofassets within their respective areas of responsibility to generate amore current picture of what assets are on hand and where they arelocated. Alternatively, the reader nodes can simply send the results ofthe last inventory stored at the reader node.

In operation 830, an inventory of assets is received from the respectiveplurality of locations. In response to the request for respectiveinventories of assets from all reader nodes of an enterprise, or fromselected reader nodes in a given region, Kinematic Asset ManagementPlatform 150 receives replies from the reader nodes which convey theircurrent, or most recent, inventory of assets at their location.

In operation 840, it is determined that an asset needed to perform atask is present at a first location. In accordance with variousembodiments, Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150 is configured touse a relational database management implementation in order to find thedesired asset. As discussed above, assets are assigned attributes whichfacilitate finding the correct asset based upon the task to beperformed.

Compensation for Detection Shortcomings

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method 1000 for compensating for detectionshortcomings in accordance with various embodiments. In operation 1010,it is determined that an asset is not present at a location based upon apolling for assets using a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system.In some instances, polling for the presence of assets using RFIDtechnology can be hindered by physical obstruction of radio waves basedupon how an asset, and its associated asset identification device, arestored. For example, is an asset (e.g., 105 or 115 of FIG. 1) is storedsuch that its associated asset identification device (e.g., 105A or 115Aof FIG. 1) is blocked from receiving radio signals from a reader (e.g.,an RFID interrogator), then it may not respond to an RFID interrogation.As a result, the inventory may erroneously state that the asset ismissing when in fact it is simply obscured from the radio signals fromthe RFID interrogator.

In operation 1020, accessing a location history of the asset. Inaccordance with various embodiments, Kinematic Asset Management Platform150 maintains a location history of assets. As noted above, the reportsfrom reader nodes can comprise time/date as well as location data foreach asset detected by the reader nodes communicating with KinematicAsset Management Platform 150. In the case of vehicles submittinginventory reports to Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150, additionalinformation such as the speed of the vehicle when the inventory wasperformed can be included in reports. This information can be used tomore accurately recreate a location history of the asset. For example,if an asset is detected and reported while a vehicle is moving, it isunlikely that the asset has been removed from the vehicle while it isstill moving. In another example, if an asset is detected at a fixedsite or vehicle, subsequently reported as missing, and then detectedagain at that same fixed site or vehicle, it is more likely that theasset was there the whole time and simply not detected by the RFIDinterrogator. Thus, by using historical analysis of the location ofassets, Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150 can more accuratelyimplement loss prevention and reporting.

In operation 1030, determining that the asset is currently present atthe location based upon the location history. As described above,Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150 can access the location historyof assets in order to more accurately detect the loss or theft ofassets. Thus, Kinematic Asset Management Platform 150 can actuallydetermine that an asset which may have previously been reported as lostor stolen is in fact still within the enterprise. This will reduceoverstocking of assets which might have been ordered based upon falsereporting of missing or stolen assets which subsequently appear backinto the system.

FIG. 11 shows an example of locating and reporting assets in accordancewith another embodiment. In the embodiment of FIG. 11, a reference tag1101 is located in room 1100. In accordance with one embodiment, a tag(e.g., an RFID tag, WiFi tag, RuBee tag, etc.) can be assigned an objecttype of “reference tag.” In accordance with various embodiments, areference tag is permanently situated at a fixed location such as room1100. Again, it is noted that reference tags are not restricted toindoor locations alone and can also be located outdoors. In accordancewith various embodiments, the location at which reference tag 1101 issituated is stored in kinematic asset management platform 150. In theembodiment of FIG. 11, assets 1102 and 1103 are also currently locatedin room 1100. In accordance with one embodiment, a portable reader 1105can be used to read all of the tags such as reference tag 1101, as wellas respective asset IDs tags coupled with assets 1102 and 1103, which itcan detect in room 1100. Portable reader 1105 can record, or report thepresence of all tags detected in room 1100. Thus, the location of assets1102 and 1103 is reported by association due to their presence beingdetected in the same room as, or proximate to, reference tag 1101.

Embodiments of the present technology are thus described. While thepresent technology has been described in particular embodiments, itshould be appreciated that the present technology should not beconstrued as limited to these embodiments alone, but rather construedaccording to the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of determining a location of aparticular asset disposed in one of a plurality of locations, wherein aplurality of assets is disposed at each of the locations, the methodcomprising: with a kinematic asset management platform, receiving anindication to determine at which of the locations the particular assetis disposed; with the kinematic asset management platform, generating arequest for at least a plurality of reader nodes, wherein the readernodes are disposed at the locations, and wherein at least one readernode is disposed at each of the locations; with each particular readernode, polling the assets disposed at the location of the particularreader node to generate an inventory of assets at the location of theparticular reader node; with each particular reader node, in response tothe request, transmitting an indication of the inventory of the assetsat the particular reader node to the kinematic asset managementplatform; with the kinematic asset management platform, receiving theindications of inventories of assets from each of the reader nodes; andwith the kinematic asset management platform, determining a particularlocation at which the particular asset is disposed.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of the locations is mobile.
 3. The methodof claim 2, wherein at least one of the locations is fixed.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the particular asset is a tool.
 5. The methodof claim 1, wherein the particular asset is an employee.
 6. The methodof claim 1, wherein at least one of the reader nodes is configured topoll the assets disposed at the location of the at least one reader nodein response to the request from the kinematic asset management platform.7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one reader node isconfigured to poll the assets disposed at the location of the at leastone reader node using an RFID interrogator.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein at least one of the reader nodes is configured to poll theassets disposed at the location of the at least one reader node prior tothe request from the kinematic asset management platform.
 9. The methodof claim 1, wherein the kinematic asset management platform isconfigured to use a relational database to determine the particularlocation at which the particular asset is disposed.
 10. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising, with the kinematic asset managementplatform, determining the asset based on a task to be performed.
 11. Amethod of determining that a particular asset is disposed in one of aplurality of locations, the method comprising: with a kinematic assetmanagement platform, receiving one or more reports indicating that theasset is disposed in the one location; with the kinematic assetmanagement platform, maintaining a history of the location of theparticular asset; with the kinematic asset management platform,receiving one or more reports indicating that the asset is not disposedin the one location; and with the kinematic asset management platform,determining, based on the history of the location of the particularasset, that the report indicating that the asset is not disposed in theone location is erroneous and that the particular asset is disposed inthe one location.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one locationis mobile.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein another of the pluralityof locations is fixed.
 14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:determining that the asset is disposed in the one location while thelocation is moving, wherein the one or more reports indicating that theasset is disposed in the one location indicates that the location wasmoving when the asset was determined to be disposed in the one location;and determining that the asset is not disposed in the one location whilethe location is still moving, wherein the one or more reports indicatingthat the asset is not disposed in the one location indicates that thelocation was moving when the asset was determined to not be disposed inthe one location.
 15. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one ofthe assets is a tool.
 16. The method of claim 11, wherein at least oneof the assets is an employee.
 17. The method of claim 11, wherein thereport indicating that the asset is not disposed in the one location istransmitted to the kinematic asset management platform by a readerdisposed at the one location.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein thereader is configured to determine whether the particular asset is at theone location using an RFID interrogator.
 19. The method of claim 11,further comprising: with the kinematic asset management platform,receiving a second report indicating that the asset is disposed in theone location; and based on the one or more reports indicating that theasset is disposed in the one location, on the one or more reportsindicating that the asset is not disposed in the one location, and onthe second report indicating that the asset is disposed in the onelocation, determining that the report indicating that the asset is notdisposed in the one location is erroneous.